Publishers Pete Spurrier (left) and Ian Medcalf found Hong Kong the ideal environment for setting up their expatriate magazine, Town Crier

In June 1999, two British friends successfully launched Town Crier magazine - an English-language monthly lifestyle publication aimed at Hong Kong's resident expatriate population.

The co-founders Pete Spurrier and Ian Medcalf had already lived in Hong Kong for several years, both employed in a number of different fields. When they met socially and both took on some removal work - a sector in which Mr Medcalf now operates a separate company - they got brainstorming. "We thought there was a gap between the bar-orientated free magazines found in pubs and restaurants here, and the high-end consumer magazines found on bookstalls," explained Mr Spurrier.
 
"We thought there would be a niche for a magazine aimed primarily at well-off expats, but also distributed by post, so they wouldn't need to pick it up in bars. There are plenty of people who are away from home and appreciate a free source of local information. Our reasoning seemed to hold water, since the subscription has risen dramatically month-on-month and the readers love it. We have found that our subscribers are predominately expat females, so we have had to adjust our content accordingly."

When researching content and analysing existing publications in preparation for the launch of Town Crier - a feat that occurred just two months after first discussing the idea - the pair made broad decisions. They wanted to focus on useful local information, which they felt was not really covered by any of the other free publications. "They were more about bar promotions and cultural shows, whereas we tried to help new arrivals discover where to buy things, how to get around, where to go on your day off, how to get by in Cantonese and so on," Mr Spurrier said.

The Town Crier founders found Hong Kong amenable to their fledgling publishing business. "Printing is economical and fast," Mr Spurrier said. "And Hong Kong is small, so distributing the magazine to clubs and coffee shops everywhere is not too difficult or time consuming.

"People almost expect you to have your own business here, it's such an entrepreneurial city. As such there's a lot of encouragement, and a lot of people to get advice from. Every business has teething troubles but it's easier when you can speak to people who have had the same experience."

Four years on, Mr Spurrier is in charge of editorial content, design and layout while Mr Medcalf runs the accounts side and sales staff negotiate advertising.

"We have already achieved our aim of distributing the magazine through every major members' club in Hong Kong," Mr Spurrier said. We envisage a time when the mailing list will slow down in growth, since there are only so many expats and English-speakers in HK. But that hasn't happened yet."

Related link:
Town Crier www.hongkongtowncrier.com